Kazakh film bags India's Golden Peacock

A Kazakh film scooped the top prize at the International Film Festival of India in the resort state of Goa on Tuesday.

Tulpan, about a young man with big ears returning to the steppe after completing his military service in the hope of leading a nomadic life as a shepherd, won the festival's 40,000 rupee ($1,238) Golden Peacock.

The honour is the latest for director Sergey Dvortsevoy, who was also given the most promising director award.

The light-hearted comedy scooped third prize at the Cannes Film Festival and is in line for further success at next year's Academy Awards, where it has been entered for the best foreign film Oscar.

Fifteen films from Asian, Asia-Pacific and Latin American were in the running for the Goa festival's top prize.

IFFI organisers cancelled a number of programs and other activities during the festival after last Wednesday's attacks in Mumbai, which claimed at least 188 lives and left more than 300 injured.

They were also shelved as a mark of respect to former Indian prime minister VP Singh, who also died last week.